Nice or other town for trip with 82yr old Father.
 

Hello,

Nice or other suggestions as a base. My sister and I and off on a "bucket list" adventure with our 82 year old father. The French Riviera is high on list, so we are there for 6 days in mid September. His 82 and can only walk small distances, needing a wheelchair at times. We planned to stay in Nice (train arrives here from Paris, then we have a car), its close to Monaco, and Italy where we will continue our journey. However, he likes a small town feel too. Would somewhere like Antibes (or other suggestions?) be a better option? Thoughts and opinions on where to base ourselves and any other tips and highlights to make this trip a little extra special for him. Thank you

Antibes would be great IMO - flat and not small but not large - easy access by car unlike Nice a huge city. Perfect.

Antibes is OK for a 1/2 day visit - but you have 6 days on the Cote d' Azur. Nice is your best bet. Nice has much better bus & train connections to other sites along the coast. IMO, a car is fine in Nice - but rent one about day 3 and venture into the Nice Hinterland then to see the beautiful canyons, mountain ridges, hill villages, raging rivers, etc.


Stu Dudley

With car avoid Nice - don't see why Nice is a better base - Antibes much easier to drive into and out of and only a few miles from Nice so strategically well located too.

When my Dad was in his 80's, he based himself in Nice several times without a problem. His other option, for a smaller village, was Beaulieu-Sur-Mer. We always enjoyed visiting Antibes but it never felt like a "base" to us.

My wife & I have stayed in Nice for about 7-9 weeks - including a 2 weeks stay in 2015. We've also stayed just outside of Nice up in the hills near Vence for 4 weeks. We've also spent 7 weeks in St Tropez. So we know the area quite well. We've visited Antibes about 5 times in the past 41 years we've been vacationing in Europe annually (mainly France).


I always recommend staying in Nice because it is the "hub" of transportation. And there are many, many more things to do & see in Nice than anyplace else along the Cote. I would feel isolated if I stayed in Antibes for 6 nights. I would find myself spending too much time on trains or in the car getting elsewhere. The train station in Antibes is not as close to town as you would like. When we were In Nice for 2 weeks in '15, the first week we took buses east to visit Menton, Villefranche, Rothschilds Villa, and a "pass" through Monaco on the bus. We took the train west to Antibes. The second week we rented a car & explored the Nice Hinterland by car.


Don't consider Villefranche if someone has mobility issues & is sometimes in a wheelchair.


Stu Dudley

We did not find Antibes easy to drive into or out of. Traffic was terrible; it took us nearly an hour on several occasions to get from the motorway to the town center.

I'd go for Nice and just use Uber, as a good part of Nice is flat and easy walking.

If there are some mobility issues, please be aware that many of the charming older parts of the towns and cities do have quite a number of uneven stone surfaces and may not be readily accessible by car (pedestrian only zones) without a walk (or a dropoff/pickup). (We have a place in Nice) So, it depends somewhat on how limited his mobility is. Some top villages like Eze and Villefrance can be very hilly as well. Beaulieu SM and Menton are relatively accessible, in their main portions (but both have hilly areas as well). In that respect, Nice and Antibes have broad stretches of flat land. Antibes while smaller in population, is surprisingly spread out and is more of a large town/small city. Antibes will be a bit easier to drive around, although parking tends to be on the further perimeter of the pedestrian zones, meaning you'll have to drop off and pickup. There are traffic issues to get in and out of both, especially around rush hour in the afternoon in the area between the two cities.

If you do stay in Nice or drive in, be aware there is an underground express bypass from the Centre to the A8 tollway, with a few entrances throughout town. One entrance is on Rue de Congres and the Promenade des Anglais, right in the center. Some maps and mapping software don't seem to comprehend this. In this respect, Nice is easier to get out of and (paid) parking is often right under your destination.

In Nice, Uber and the easy to use tram (or buses) are also alternatives to get around town (park once, and then use transit). Nice has a better transport options, in general. When going to the Cours Saleya market, park in the Cours Saleya garage, and take the elevator right into the center of the market. Could not be more accessible. There is also the elevator to the top of Castle Hill, a rare free chance for someone with mobility issues to get a panaromic view at the top of a hill.

sounds like Nice is nice - just thought looking for smaller city. But yes Nice has lots to offer.

Thank you all so much, great suggestions.
 

Thanks to everyone for great suggestions and practical advise. Still yet to decide, though I think he will prefer the small town aspect of Antibes
, and parking might be easier for us. But amazing tips like the view from the markets, and other opportunities for someone with limited mobility. Given some of small hilltop towns are not suitable day trips. Does anyone have further suggestions for experiencing the best of south France ? We like driving so don't mind a long day trip in the car to experience another aspect of French Riviera. Thanks you all again. Really helpful and appreciated. Natalie

When we stayed in Nice for 2 weeks, we paid a weekly rate (90E - I think) for parking at a parking garage just steps from our Apt. No charge for daily "in&out" privileges. As I recall, (and as gooster noted) - parking in Antibes is not very close to where you might be staying. And as Underuill noted - driving in & out may be time consuming. We were in Nice the first 2 weeks in June and had no problems with backed-up traffic.


Do you have my 35 page Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary? We've vacationed for 43 weeks in this region. The itinerary describes our favorite villages, scenic drives (many around Nice), markets (never noticed any "views" from the Antibes or Nice market?), red-rock gorges, rivers, restaurants, etc. I've sent this itinerary to over 3,000 people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a one to the reply e-mail. Do so soon - we leave for 3 weeks in Paris shortly and I will not have my PC with me.


Stay in Nice!!


Stu Dudley

Trains from Paris also stop in Antibes - may not need car first night - if you can find a hotel with parking nice or ask always about proximity of parking to hotel. Antibes may be hard to drive in and out of but so is Nice probably - mid-Sep still crowded but nothing like mid summer. Cannes La Bocca area could be a nice place for car and hotel - kind of modern seaside resort feel but plenty of hotels with parking it would seem.

Just a note to clarify. There are no views directly from the markets (although Nice's is in a more beautiful square). The elevator to the views in Nice is not in the market (there is an elevator from the garage). The elevator to the Castle Hill is pretty close by, by the Hotel Suisse. You can drop your father off there and park in the garage nearby. Note there is also a tourist shuttle (Le Petit Train) that goes to the top of the hill as well.

So a car for Nice itself is useless. Just marshall day trips by car after you've seen Nice. Take a bus up to Cimiez for wondrous views over the coast and famous modern art museum and Roman ruins.